System and Method for Adjusting a Security Level and Signaling Alarms in Controlled Areas

ABSTRACT

An access control system responds to both a user&#39;s access data and information as to the presence of one or more individuals in a region. A determination can be automatically made that an authorized individual, or an unauthorized individual, or, an intruder has been detected. The security level can be adjusted in response to the class of the individual seeking access.

FIELD

The invention pertains to regional access control systems and methods.More particularly, the invention pertains to such systems and methodswhere individuals in a region are sensed and identified and responsivethereto, a security level and alarm state of the region can be adjusted.

BACKGROUND

Various types of door, or, regional access control systems are known.One such system is disclosed in US Published Patent Application No.2008/0086758 A1 published Apr. 10, 2008 and entitled, “DecentralizedAccess Control Framework.” The '758 application is assigned to theAssignee hereof and incorporated by reference.

While known systems have been effective for their intended purpose, openissues remain. For example, traditional access control systems can notdetect if an unauthorized cardholder has ‘piggybacked’ into a securearea, and thus they do not increase the level of security in the areaand sub-areas. Further, known intrusion systems can identify if a personis in a secure area, but they can not accurately identify whether theperson is a valid cardholder. This problem may occur when an employee isworking late, and the intrusion system is turned on while he/she isstill in the building or region being monitored. Finally, if theintrusion system is set up to disarm when a valid card holder enters anarea, then the level of security in that area is reduced.

In would be desirable to address the above noted issues so as to providemore effective security to a monitored region than is currentlyavailable. It would also be desirable to do so in a way such thatexisting systems might be upgradable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram of a stand-alone access control system whichembodies the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a multi-controller system which embodies theinvention;

FIG. 3 a block diagram of a door mountable access control unit which canbe used in the systems of FIGS. 1 or 2;

FIG. 4 a diagram of a monitored region illustrating details of thepresent invention; and

FIGS. 5-9 illustrate aspects of processing by control units, such as inFIG. 3, which embody the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While embodiments of this invention can take many different forms,specific embodiments thereof are shown in the drawings and will bedescribed herein in detail with the understanding that the presentdisclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principlesof the invention, as well as the best mode of practicing same, and isnot intended to limit the invention to the specific embodimentillustrated.

In a disclosed embodiment of the invention, card holders and intruderswithin an area are identified. Identified individuals can be classifiedas authorized, unauthorized or an unrecognized intruder. Control of thearea, or, region can then be based on the identification andclassification of the individual(s).

A method which embodies the invention classifies individuals as theyenter, exit, and are present in monitored areas with different levels ofsecurity and alarm states. In accordance therewith, situations can beautomatically established in which certain alarm states may beindicated, and the security level of an area may be raised or loweredautomatically.

A system which embodies the invention identifies known personnel as theypass through one or more areas. Access can be provided by various formsof credentials. These include without limitation, contact-type orwireless access cards, or physiological characteristics or the like, allwithout limitation.

For example, battery-assisted passive (BAP) access cards can be usedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Suchaccess cards can communicate with door controllers as well as accesspoints in an area. If an access card is communicating with an accesspoint, then it is assumed that the card holder is within a predefinedarea of the access point. Other forms of identification devices comewithin the spirit and scope of the invention.

In another example, physiological, or biometric, identification devicessuch as solid state cameras can be used without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention. Such identification devices cancommunicate with video surveillance controllers which processphysiological data of individuals in an area. If the physiological dataof an individual in an area matches pre-recorded data of a knownindividual, then it is assumed that a card holder is within a predefinedarea of the physiological identification device.

Additionally, the presence of a person within a given area, regardlessof whether or not they are a card holder can be established. Motion, or,intrusion sensors can be incorporated in accordance with the invention.The intrusion sensor or sensors is/are positioned to monitor the samearea as a corresponding access point or door controller. Hence, motionaround an access point or door may be detected.

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, areas and sub-areasthat are monitored by both an access point and an intrusion sensor canbe defined. When the intrusion sensor detects a person in the area, thesystem can place the individual into one of three categories:

An authorized individual is a person carrying a valid credential, suchas a card, and is allowed in the area;

An unauthorized individual is a person carrying an identifiablecredential, or card, but is not allowed in the area; and

An unrecognized individual is a person without a credential, such as anintruder.

Depending on the categorization of the individual embodiments of theinvention can control the alarm state or change a security level of anarea or group of areas. For example, the security level of an area andits sub-areas may remain constant if authorized personnel are moving inthe area. In an aspect of the invention, an intrusion alarm system foran area would not need to be disabled when valid personnel are in thearea. Any event generated from the movement of authorized personnelwould be shunted and not emitted or transmitted to a common control unitor other control units, such as an intrusion controller or videosurveillance controller.

In yet another aspect of the invention, the security level(s) ofsub-areas may be controlled by the presence of a particular authorizedindividual. For example, the security level of a medicine cabinet in apharmacy may decrease when the supervisor is within a certain distanceof the cabinet, and this decrease may unlock the cabinet or allow accessto trainees. The security level may then automatically increase againwhen the supervisor walks away from the cabinet.

In a further aspect of the invention, a high security area or sub-areamay be locked down if an unauthorized person enters the area. Forexample, an unauthorized person may ‘piggyback’ on an authorized personthrough a portal and gain access to a secure area. If this occurs, inaccordance with the invention, the security level of the area canautomatically be increased to the level of ‘lockdown’ in the secure areaand its sub-areas. Alternatively, the coverage and responses ofintrusion alarm and video surveillance controllers may be altered if anunauthorized person is in a secure area.

Alternately, systems or methods which embody the invention can increasethe security level of an area or group of areas upon the detection of anintruder. This event occurs when motion is detected in an area, andthere is not an authorized individual in the area. The security levelmay increase to the level of ‘lockdown,’ and an alarm may be raised.

In another embodiment, a security level may be increased, or, an alarmmay be raised in an area, or region in response to the triggering of a‘distress’ or personal emergency event. Such events are often manuallytriggered by an individual needing emergency assistance in response toaccidental physical danger or intentional violence. However these eventsmay also be triggered by the occurrence of personal industrial hazardssuch as the activation of fall arresting gear. Distress events may betriggered in other various ways as would be understood by those of skillin the art.

In yet another embodiment, the security levels may be controlled betweenareas to prevent the interaction of a threat with credential carryingpersonnel. The threat may be identified through the intrusion system ora supplementary system that generates known alarms. For example, if afire is identified in an area of a building, then the security level maybe controlled so that credential carrying personnel may only exit thearea and not enter it. The security level of other areas may also becontrolled, which would funnel all credential carrying personnel tosafety in the quickest way possible. Other examples of threats that mayinitiate this automated security level control could include armedintruders, chemical spills or contamination, all without limitation.Likewise the security level of other areas may also be controlled, so asto enable the access and infrastructure (e.g. lighting, HVAC, etc.)needed by emergency responders to such events in order to re-establishsecurity and/or safety.

FIG. 1 illustrates one form of a stand-alone system 10 which embodiesthe invention. In system 10, a wireless door controller is mounted on adoor D to control access to a region which is closed, or blocked by thedoor D. A wireless card 14 can be used to cause controller 12 torelease, or unlock door D for access by an individual in possession ofcard 14.

In a stand alone mode, as in FIG. 1, an associated sensor 16 of anintrusion detection system 18 can detect the presence of one or moreindividuals/intruders in the vicinity of the door D. As discussed below,sensor 16 could be incorporated into controller 12 which could becoupled to system 18 wirelessly or via a wired medium.

FIG. 2 illustrates a multiple door/region access control system 20.System 20 includes a wireless door controller 22 carried by a door D1which provides access to a respective region.

Controller 22, in addition to responding to a wireless access card 24 toprovide access to the respective region, can also be in wirelesscommunication, via repeaters 28 a,b with a control unit or panel 30. Itwill be understood that controller 22 can operate substantially in astand-alone mode and provide access via door D1 and feed access relateddata to unit 30, or can communicate information as to card 24 to unit 30to obtain authorization to release door D1, all without limitation.

Control unit 30 can include control circuits 32. Circuits 32 can beimplemented in part by a programmable processor 32 a, associated controlsoftware 32 b, executed by processor 32 a and a wireless interface 32 cfor communication with controller 22. System 20 can also include aplurality of additional controllers, indicated generally at 36, whichprovide access to different regions than does controller 22.

One or more intrusion sensors, such as motion sensor 28 can be locatedin the vicinity of access controller 22, or configured as part ofcontroller 22. Sensors such as sensor 28 can be coupled to an intrusionsensing system, such as system 40 which can also be in communicationwith control panel 30. A fire alarm system, such as 44, coupled to oneor both systems 30, 40 can provide audible/visible alarms in the regionbeing monitored indicative of detected individuals in the absence ofauthorization.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary controller 40, comparable tocontrollers 20, 22, 36. Controller 40 can include a door mountablehousing 42. Housing 42 can carry control circuits 44 which can include aprogrammed processor 46 a and associated radio or transceiver 46 b forwireless communication via antenna 46 c.

Housing 42 can also carry a short range capacitive motion sensor 48 aand a longer range motion sensor, for example a passive infra-red-typesensor 48 b. Other types of sensors of individuals, such as thermalsensors, solid state cameras with associated processing to detectmotion, without limitation, come within the spirit and scope of theinvention. Further as noted above, such sensors can but need not beincorporated into the respective access control unit.

Outputs from one or both sensors 48 a, b in combination with informationfrom an associated wireless card, such as 14, or 24, can be used bycircuitry 44 to determine if a respective door, such as D or D1 shouldbe released, or access levels changed, as described above in accordancewith the invention. Such sensors can also be used, in combination withlocal processing, or processing by intrusion sensing system 40 inidentifying intruders. Where motion as been sensed, but no authorizedcredential carrying personnel are in the area, the motion would havebeen caused by an intruder.

It will be understood that the controller 40 is exemplary only and othervariations or configurations, including wired controllers come withinthe spirit and scope of the invention. Similarly, the particular detailsof the type of card being used to obtain access are not limitations ofthe invention. For example, RFID-type cards as well as optical ormagnetic cards all come within the spirit and scope of the invention.

FIGS. 4-9 illustrate methods, or processing which embody the presentinvention and which could be carried out by controllers, such ascontroller 40. FIG. 4 illustrates multiple controlled areas, or,regions. Areas 1, 2 represent relatively low security areas. Areas 3, 4represent higher security areas. Areas 1-4 are accessed by respectivePortals which provide access via one or more respective doors, such asD, or D1. Each of the portals has an associated access control system,such as the unit 22-I, and at least one local intrusion or motionsensor, such as 28-I as discussed above relative to FIGS. 2, 3.

The access control units 22-I could be coupled (wired or wirelessly) tocontrol unit 30. The intrusion sensors could be coupled to system 40,discussed above. Sensors 28-I can be included in, or displaced fromrespective access control units 22-i. As would be understood by those ofskill in the art, multiple intrusion sensors can be installed throughoutareas 1-4 as appropriate without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention. Regions illustrated in FIGS. 5-9 include the accesscontrol units and intrusion sensors as illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 5 illustrates that the security level of an area and its sub-areascan be maintained constant in the presence of an authorized individual,or, card holder. A sensor such as 28-i in combination with informationfrom a respective card such as 24 and access control unit 22-I canenable the card holder to enter a region with an active intrusion alarmwithout setting off the alarm.

FIG. 6 illustrates control of the security level of a sub-area inresponse to the present of an authorized individual. An individual witha higher security level can alter the security level of a sub-areathereby enabling someone of a lower security level to have access to aninternal, higher security region but only when in the presence of theperson having a high security level.

FIG. 7 illustrates locking down a high security area or sub-area(s) inresponse to an unauthorized card holder entering the area, perhaps alongwith a person having a higher security level. FIG. 8 illustrates lockingdown and increasing the security level of an area upon detection of anintruder. FIG. 9 illustrates increasing security in an area orgenerating an alarm where an intruder uses proximity to a highersecurity individual to gain access to a secure area, and the highersecurity level individual can create a “distress event” alerting theunit 40.

Alternatives to the card based access control units, such as 22-i, alsocome within the spirit and scope of the invention. These include withoutlimitation, access control units with key pads, or that recognize one ormore physiological, or biometric, characteristics of an individual suchas fingerprints, retinal prints, facial characteristics, speech and thelike all without limitation. Sensors can include video, or other formsof cameras without limitation.

Thus embodiments of the invention can sense that an individual ispresent. The individual can then be identified. One or more sensors canbe used without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.The details of such sensors are not limitations of the invention.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation withrespect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended orshould be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appendedclaims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

1. A system comprising: at least one sensor capable of indicating thepresence an individual proximate thereto; an access control unitassociated with the sensor; and control circuits coupled to the at leastone sensor, and the unit and responsive thereto to adjust a securitylevel and alarm state in a selected region.
 2. A system as in claim 1where the control circuits can increase the security level in a regionin response to the detected presence of a recognized person having afirst clearance level.
 3. A system as in claim 1 where the controlcircuits can decrease the security level in a region in response to thedetected presence of a recognized person having a first clearance level.4. A system as in claim 1 where the access control unit identifies theindividual and, responsive to the entrance of an authorized individualinto the region, the state of an associated alarm system is unchanged.5. A system as in claim 1 where, responsive to the presence of first andsecond individuals in the region, and with one individual having ahigher clearance than the other, a security level of an internalsub-region is reduced.
 6. A system as in claim 5 where access to thesub-region is limited by an access apparatus which includes: at leastone sensor capable of indicating the presence of an individual proximatethereto; an access control unit associated with the sensor; and controlcircuits coupled to the sensors, and responsive thereto to adjust asecurity level in the sub-region.
 7. A system as in claim 1 where thecontrol circuits respond to the presence of an unauthorized individualin a region by altering a security level of at least one selectedregion.
 8. A system as in claim 1 where the control circuits respond tothe presence of an intruder in a region by altering a security level ofat least one selected region and by authorizing access into some regionsand not others.
 9. A system as in claim 1 where the control circuitsrespond to the presence of at least an authorized individual in a regionand a detected security and/or safety indicium by increasing a securitylevel in one or more selected regions and changing a selected alarmstate.
 10. A method comprising: defining a region having a firstsecurity level; establishing an intrusion alarm in a first state withrespect to the region; sensing an indicium authorizing access by anindividual into the region, and responsive there to, permitting accessto the region via a selected sensor; and indicating the presence andidentity of the individual in the vicinity of the sensor and responsivethereto, maintaining the intrusion alarm in the first state.
 11. Amethod as in claim 10 which includes sensing the presence of first andsecond individuals in the vicinity of a selected sensor, and temporarilyreducing the security level of a region accessible via the sensor inresponse to one of the individuals having a higher security level thanthe other.
 12. A method as in claim 11 where the security level isreduced only as long as the individual having the higher security levelcontinues to be sensed in the vicinity of the other individual.
 13. Amethod as in claim 10 which includes sensing an unauthorized individualin a region and responsive thereto, not authorizing the departure of theindividual from the region and initiating a selected intrusion alarmstate.
 14. A method as in claim 10 which includes sensing a distressevent and generating a selected alarm state while altering a securitylevel of a respective region.
 15. A method as in claim 10 which includessensing a condition indicative of security and/or safety in a region,and responsive thereto, altering security levels of respective regionsto either contain individuals and the condition, to enable individualsto depart where they may not otherwise be allowed to leave, or enableaccess by authorized personnel for the purpose of restoring some levelof security and/or safety.
 16. A method as in claim 15, where securitylevels of multiple regions may be altered to provide a path to safetyfrom or around the condition, or enable access by authorized personnelfor the purpose of restoring some level of security and/or safety.
 17. Amethod as in claim 15 which includes generating one or more conditionindicating alarms and generating one or more indicators of at least oneescape path from or to the condition.
 18. A method of categorizingindividuals within at least one region to various levels ofauthorization including unauthorized or intruder, sensing a conditionindicative of a breach of security and/or safety in a region, andresponsive thereto, altering security levels of respective regions toeither contain individuals and the condition to enable individuals todepart where they may not otherwise be allowed to leave, or enableaccess by authorized personnel for the purpose of restoring a selectedlevel of security and/or safety.
 19. A method as in claim 18 and wheresecurity levels of multiple regions may be altered to provide a path tosafety from or around the condition, or enable access by authorizedpersonnel for the purpose of restoring a selected level of securityand/or safety
 20. A system as in claim 6 where the sensing of anindividual proximate thereto comprises at least one sensor capable ofindicating the presence and identity of the individual, such as a motionsensor, thermal sensor, pressure sensor, physiological sensor, or solidstate camera.